Wrench and tap device



E. F. FISHER WRENCH AND TAP DEVICE Aug. 25, 1953 Filed May 1, 1950 Fig-3 INVENTOR.

ERNEST l FISHER ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 25 195 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

2,649,825 WRENCH AND TAP DEVICE Ernest F. Fisher, Dayton, Ohio Application May 1, 1950, Serial No. 159,216

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to combination tools and is concerned particularly with Combination tools for removing and installing internal underground valve-seats or plugs of various types such as those employed in hydrants and the like which are inaccessible by the use of ordinary tools.

It is known that hydrants are secured to the upper end of a vertical pipe which extends below the street or pavement level, this vertical pipe at its lower end or shoe being connected to a main supply pipe; When the ordinary type of wrench is used to replace parts such as internal underground valve-seats in a hydrant system, it is necessary to break the pavement and remove the earth around the hydrant barrel and the vertical hydrant pipe down to the shoe or main supply pipe for the hydrant, which is ordinarily located at a considerable distance below the pavement line. It is obvious therefore that this is highly objectionable since it requires removalof a portion of the pavement and a large quantity of earth surrounding the hydrant system which must be replaced. In addition, the. process of removing and installing valve-seats'referred to has the disadvantage of requiring considerable time, thus materially increasing the cost of making replacements.

It is accordingly a principal object of this invention to provide a combination tool by means of which internal, underground valve-seats of a hydrant system which are relatively inaccessible may be removed or installed without requiring the removal of the pavement and earth around the hydrant system. 7 f

It is another object of the invention to provide a simple and dependable combined wrenchetap device adapted to facilitate the removal of the internal underground valve mechanism of hydrants.

It is also an ob'ject'cf the invention to provide a tool embodying a tap and a socket wrench by the use of which a hydrant valve may be loosened and gripped at a point where it can bereadily removed from the hydrantshoe.

A further object of 'the invention' istheproof such a device which will be efficient in opera-l tion and which can befmanufa'ctured at a rela-' tively low cost."

The manner in" which these and fotherjobjects of, the invention are attaine'dw'ill' beevident from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation partly in section showing a typical hydrant;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing in detail one form of combined tap and socket member unit constructed in accordance with this invention and applied in a hydrant barrel, some portions of the unit being shown in section for clarity of illustration; u

Fig. 3 is a vertical central cross-section showing a unit of this invention of the type employed in the hydrant of Fig. 2, the hydrant valve-seat being firmly held by the combined tap and socket member unit for insertion into or removal from the hydrant.

Fig. 4 is a transverse line 4-4 of Fig. 3. v

In the several figures of the drawing, like reference numerals indicate like parts.

According to the present invention, the typical hydrant illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 embodies a vertically positioned structure l0, having a barrel H which extends below the pavement or earth sectional view taken on line I2. Within the barrel II is a vertically posi-- tioned pipe I3 having a valve assembly I4 at the fore has required excavation around the hydrant to a depth of approximately five or six feet, i. e.. a depth sufficiently below the earth line I2 to render accessible the laterally projecting polygonal collar, as for example, hexagonal collar portion 22 of the valveeseat l5.

Such excavation is entirely eliminated with the use of the combined tool device of this invention. which as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 comprises a. longitudinal shaft or shank 25 preferably of circular cross-section provided with a handle 26 connected to the upper end thereof, this handle being in the form of a horizontal rod secured to the end of the shaft or shank 25 in any suitablemanner, as for example, by welding. The lowerhexagonal head or cap 32 formed with a centrali opening 33 through which the shaft or shank 25.

is slidably extended. A hand wrench 34', as

shown in Fig. 2, may be used on the headv 32 for the operation of turning the tubular body member 30 to substantially loosen ordisengage theexternally-threaded extension l8 of the: valveseat l5, after which the internally-threaded wing-nut. 3.5 on the threaded. portion. 28. of the shaft or shank 25, may, be. turned into locking engagement with the tubular memberv 3i! as shown in Fig. 3 and the device can then lzieoperated'bythe handle 26v to remove, the. valve-seat from the face of the. hydrant. Breferably. a. lock washer 29 is providedadjacent. the upper surface of the head or. cap 321 to secure the above mentioned locking action of the wing-nut 35.

In operating the tool/ofj this invention, the

faucet assembly 40'. is removed from the upper hydrant structure and after the vertically positioned pipe I3, is withdrawn in a wellknown manner, the tubularv member 391 and the shaft 25.v are. placedjn the positionshown in Fig. 2' with the hexagonal-socket. 3T1 inengagement with the.

hexagonaljcollar. 22fandwitnthe threaded portions of the tap 2T projecting slightly into and engaging. with the. upperv portion. of the fluid passage wall" [6 of'the valve-seat Hi The handle 25. is then manually turned clockwise so as to rotate the shaft 25' and thus securely engage'the upper portion of the wall l5. ofthe valve-seat. 5

with the threaded tap.v 27'. The hand wrench.

34. is then positioned about the polygonal head or cap 32" and" the tubular member 361s rotated in a direction to slightly loosen. or disengage the externally-threaded extension 18'; from the hydrant shoemember Ziljafter-which the wing-nut 35 is rotated into locking. engagement with the tubular member 38 and the handle 26* is then rotated to completely disengage the valve-seat i and remove it'fromthe hydrantshoe 261- This, operation only requires afew rotations. of the tubular member 30and1the shaft- 25fto'draw the upper portion of'the. valve-seat into locking-en'- gagementwith the tap 2'1" and to disengage the threaded portion l8'from the threaded'passage' 59 in the hydrant: shoemember '20::

After. the deteriorated valve-seat has been: removed from the hydrant, anew valve seatmay be positioned in the tool of this invention' as shown inv Fig; 3 and properlypositionedin the hydrantshoeZll by reversing the-abovedescribed operation;

There has" thus beerr provided simple and .efficient devices of the kind described and for the purposes specified;

While the articles hereindescribedconstitute p erred embodiments; ofLthe invention, it is to be understood that theinventionis. notlimited' to these .precisearticles, and.that..changes. may

'be made, therein, without. departing, from. the- .scope; of the inventiomwhichisdefinedin the sn d fi m r What is claimed is:

1. A tool of the class described comprising, a shaft having an engagement means at one end and a handle at the other end, said engagement means including a thread-cutting member to interiorly engage an underground hydrant valve assembly, a tubular body substantially encasing said shaft, a polygonal cap at one end of said tubular body having an opening slidably accommodating said shaft, said tubular body having a polygonal-socket at itsother end for laterally engaging an underground hydrant valve assembly.

2. A tool. for disengaging and removing an underground hydrant valve assembly through the barrel of 'a hydrant and the like comprising a shaft having a handle at one end and a valveseatengaging means at the other end to interiorly engage said valve-seat, said engaging means including a thread-cutting member, a tubular body substantially enclosing said shaft, a polygonal capat one end of said tubular body having an opening slidably accommodating said shaft, said tubular body having a polygonal socket at its other end to disengage and remove said valve assembly from said hydrant through the barrel thereof.

3. A tool comprising a threaded shaft having a handle at one end and a thread-cutting means at the other end, said thread-cutting means being engageable with an interior portion of a valve assembly screwed to the shoe of a hydrant, a body member extended about said shaft, said body member having a polygonal socket at one end to engage an exterior collar portion of said valve assembly sothat said valve assembly may be unscrewed and removedfrom said hydrant through the barrel thereof.

4. In a wrench of the class described for disengaging and removing a hydrant valve assembly, the combination of a shaft, engagement means provided at the end of said shaft, said engagement means including a tap to engage an inner circumferentialxportion of said valve assembly, a slidable tubular member rotatably and longitudinally'movable on said shaft, said. tubular member having a polygonal socket at one end tov engage a corresponding polygonal collar on said valve assembly and means at the upper end of said shaft'and said tubular member whereby said shaft and said tubular member may be gripped for turning todisengage and remove said valve assembly from said hydrant.

5. A tool for removing and replacing a valve assembly from a hydrant shoe member through the. barrel of a hydrant comprising a shaft having a tap formed at one end for rotatable insertion into one end of said valve assembly to exert an outward pressure against the inner wall thereof, a tubular body member movable on said shaft, said tubular member having a hexagonal socket at one end to engage the external hexagonal collar of said valve assembly, and means at the upper end of'said shaft'and said tubular member whereby said shaft and said tubular member may be gripped' for. turning to securely engage and remove said hydrant valve assembly.

6." A tool for removing or replacing a valve assembly in a hydrant or the like, comprising an elongated shank, a threadedtap secured to the lower end of said shank, a tubular member surrounding the shank, a polygonal socket attached to the lower end of said tubular member, and rotating means at the upper end of said shank to efiect rotation of said tap to threadedly engage the inner upper portion of said valve assembly with said tap While said polygonal socket of said tubular member is in engagement with an extending collar upon said valve assembly.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a tool for removing hydrant valve assemblies and the like, comprising a body member having a longitudinal passage extending therethrough from end to end and formed at its lower end with a polygonal socket to engage the laterally extending polygonal collar of a valve assembly for turning the same, a shank located in the longitudinal passage in said body member and provided at its lower end with a tap to engage the upper interior portion of a valve assembly, and means at the upper end of said body member whereby said body member may be gripped for turning to remove said valve assembly.

ERNEST F. FISHER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Cooley May 10, 1927 Merrill Nov. 26, 1929 Edgar Mar. 3, 1931 Downer NOV. 1, 1932 Thompson Mar. 20, 1934 Queen Sept. 22, 1936 Gifford Aug. 3, 1937 Spayd Mar. 5, 1946 Cousino Feb. 15, 1949 Pofcher Nov. 15, 1949 

